


Even Though I’m Told I Now Have A Rapier

by owenonimous



Category: Hyouka & Kotenbu Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fire Emblem Fusion, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:35:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28421799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owenonimous/pseuds/owenonimous
Summary: Eru isn't feeling the joy of the season, but maybe she knows someone who can help.
Relationships: Chitanda Eru/Oreki Houtarou
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	Even Though I’m Told I Now Have A Rapier

**Author's Note:**

  * For [highwind91](https://archiveofourown.org/users/highwind91/gifts).



> This fic was written for Highwind for the Hyouka Discord's secret santa event 2020! It's technically set in a Fire Emblem world, but it turned out to just be all the young adults left behind in a large castle. This is also like...my first published fic ever so please excuse how rough it is!

“Chitanda!” a shout rose across the inner yard. 

The girl lifted her head from the healing vulnerary she was mixing up and locked eyes with Mayaka, striding across the wet grass as if she was ten minutes late, as always. This time, she really was. 

“It’s nice to see you.” Chitanda smiled at her friend.

“I can’t believe I lost track of time! I’m so so sorry I made you wait, Lady Chi! Can I make it up to you somehow?”

Chitanda laughed lightly. “No, your presence alone is all I need, thank you.” They had promised to meet by the castle gates to forage for food in the morning, but it was well past dawn. Mayaka had probably stayed up too late yet again, studying magic obsessively. Chitanda stuffed her medicinal ingredients into her large bag, withdrawing a spade. 

As they set out, picking out berries, digging up roots, and peeling off some of the edible bark (Chitanda insisted they could be eaten), they talked amiably until they had made a large loop to the back of the castle. With both sacks bulging, the only thing to do was figure out how to cook some of the food. Even the Chitanda clan’s rice stores were getting low, so they had started to make daily expeditions for whatever they could find that was edible. 

“You enjoy horseradish, right? What if we attempt a stew with –” Chitanda suddenly stopped, looking towards the back of the castle. 

“What is it, Lady Chi?” 

“I think I hear something.” She resumed walking, and as Mayaka ran to catch up, she did too. Over the sharp cracks of practice swords, a playful voice was singing a festive song. It sounded rough and out-of-breath, so it was hard to discern who was singing. They approached the castle gates, and Chitanda looked down at the ground, still moving but deep in thought.

“I can’t wait for everyone to get back already!” Mayaka said, bumping her friend with a shoulder. “It’s been so empty around here without the usual hustle and bustle.” 

Chitanda nodded, still intent on the voices. “Mhm, yes, I too hope for their swift return.”

“Wow, that’s a pretty lukewarm response. Aren’t you worried about your folks and the rest of the retainers? I know they’ve been sending us messengers, but-”

“I AM worried about them…” Chitanda interrupted, then trailed off. Mayaka gave her a look, as if saying “Yes?”. Chitanda frowned. “That voice just reminded me that I’ve been thinking about the winter concert this year. I’m sad we can’t sing it without everyone in our choir. It sounds like…like such a selfish thing when I say it out loud though.” 

“That would be today, wouldn’t it?” 

“Yep.”

Mayaka stepped ahead to open the gate. “Well, maybe we can get Mr. Mysterious sword-fighting singer to give you a concert!” 

Chitanda laughed, stepping inside and taking Mayaka’s bag to bring to their larder. As they parted ways, she actually considered asking around to find this singer, before discarding the thought with a giggle. She hoped she could keep her good mood all day.

✦✧✦✧

Oreki walked into the meeting room. Mayaka was already there, of course, even though Satoshi wasn’t. She was looking down and humming to herself deep in thought. Oreki sat down near the door right as Satoshi and his other two advisors, Jirou and Koreyuki, swept in. They seemed out-of-breath, though nobody had said a word yet. Satoshi gave the slightest nod to Mayaka and stood, hands on hips, at the front of the room.    


“Thank you all for attending today. We have a few things to talk about, but we’ll try to keep it quick. Take it away, Tani.”

“Thank you, Lord Satoshi.” Koreyuki replied, with too much emphasis. “Today there are three items on our agenda, starting with the ongoing ration shortages. Now,-” 

Oreki tuned him out as quickly as possible. Koreyuki had an extremely long-winded manner of speaking, and it was tiring listening to him talk. These meetings were necessary for running the castle while most of the staff were away, but in Oreki’s opinion they were the biggest wastes of time you could find. Oreki made eye contact with the now seated Satoshi, who smiled as if to say “This is a bit boring, isn’t it? Sorry.” Satoshi went back to listening to Koreyuki talk about cleaning supplies or whatever, but Oreki caught his hand inching suspiciously close to the end of the table Mayaka was sitting at. 

After what seemed like forever, Oreki was startled by a clapping Satoshi, who announced “OK! We can do this, team. Everyone report back to Tanabe when you’re done.” He walked to the door, throwing an arm around Oreki’s shoulder before he reached it. “So you know what you’re doing, right?”

“You’ll tell me, right?” Oreki replied with a tiny smirk. “Anything but deep cleaning the showerhouses again.”

“No, I did that with Tani after our sparring practice this morning.”

Mayaka appeared right next to them, speaking through gritted teeth. “Stop blocking the doorway, you dumbasses.” 

Satoshi’s expression brightened, and he said “Oh perfect, are you ready to go? You can fill Oreki in then, I have to run.” 

“Wait –” They said in unison, but he was stepping into the hallway to let everyone else out as well, unrolling an apron as he went. Oreki looked down at Mayaka. Mayaka looked up at Oreki. They started walking, now behind the rest in the corridor. 

“I don’t know why he thought it would be funny to stick me with you.” Mayaka pouted, adding “Even more, we have to do the laundry together! What kind of stupid task is that? I’d love to be helping out Lady Chi again, wherever she is. I’m sure it’s something important like writing correspondence with one of the other four clans or making sure the people cooking tonight know how to cook something delicious.”

Oreki took a right, keeping up with Mayaka’s pace and her conversation only just. “I think she does whatever the acting lady of the house does all day.” Or whatever sparks her curiosity, he thought, but left unsaid. 

“Well, can you handle it by yourself for a minute? I want to go check on her and see if she needs anything.”

“What??” Oreki exclaimed. “No way! Help me and then you can run around the castle all day.”

“I wouldn’t actually leave you to do laundry all on your own.”

“Yes, you would.”

“OK, maybe. But only if it was really important.” Mayaka said. “It’s just that today was supposed to be the holiday concert, y’know? Lady Chi was really looking forward to the war being over by now so they could sing.” She opened the washingroom door for Oreki behind her, impatient to get started. 

“Ah, I forgot. It was around this time last year, right?”

“Yeah, you idiot. Christmas is the same time every year.” They glared at each other.

They dumped the first basket into the soapy water, and started scrubbing. Even with most of the staff and family gone, there was a huge amount of laundry created in the Chitanda castle, so it took a while to get everything clean. The tension dissipated along with the dirt in the clothes, sheets and rags. The repetitive task let them both focus on their own thoughts. As they carried the damp bundles across the corridor to exchange with the drying laundry from yesterday, Mayaka hummed a festive tune under her breath, the same as she had in the meeting room. She folded a pile of dishtowels and fine clothes quickly and neatly to the rhythm, then gathered them in her arms and said “I’ve got this batch, I’ll deliver them if you can get the rest.”

Oreki grumbled slightly but left her with a goodbye. As he hung, took down, and folded, he hoped in his heart that Mayaka would find Chitanda as soon as possible. 

✦✧✦✧

He was approaching his final stop when he heard it. A few seconds of silence. Then again, a little sniffle. He figured it was a mouse, until he stepped into the doorway of the infirmary and saw Chitanda at the far wall, her back to the door. She had an abandoned pile of vulnerary herbs beside her, and was lying face in arms on the table...crying? Oreki almost dropped his clean basketful of laundry. Instead, he resolved to put it away in the linen closet and leave as soon as he could. 

He opened the cabinet, and somehow Chitanda still didn’t hear him. As he started to stack the towels and rags, he started humming. Oreki didn’t know why, but it seemed like the right thing to do, to let her know he was there at the very least. That festive melody that Mayaka had been singing in the washingroom was still in his head. He got a little louder until he couldn’t hear any of the sniffling, until he blushed fire-red, until he was past worry and past humming. He opened his mouth to sing one full note and then – he was too embarrassed. He felt he had to stop. 

He continued to put away the clean sheets and tried to pretend he had never been there. A faint voice came from the very back. “Can you keep singing please?” 

He couldn’t force even one more sound out of his lips, methodically smoothing the clean linens already in the closet and trying to cool down his face.

“I have to tell you, I was feeling sad today.” Chitanda said, taking a deep breath. “I was thinking about my father, my mother, and all of the castle. That if they were here, things would be normal. And I was especially missing the annual winter concert. I was so looking forward to it!” 

She swept up from her chair, blinking at him in thanks. She started walking towards Oreki, who was still speechless. He had used too much energy singing – he felt light in the head. Perfect for the infirmary. She kept advancing, unstoppable, until gently reaching under the bundle of linens separating them and touching his fingertips whispersoft. They were both light in the head now. “Let me help.” She said. 

Chitanda squeezed his hands quickly, unmistakably now, and then withdrew her hands along with the pile he was holding. Oreki shook his head. “You don’t need to help me with this, Lady Chitanda. I–”

“You helped me today more than you know, Oreki.” Her smile was larger than the sun.

“It’s just laundry, really.” 

She laughed at his face. Then, gathering her courage, Chitanda began to sing. First almost a whisper, she pronounced the slow words carefully while bending to close the last drawer of clean wrappings. She stood up, smoothing her dress and trailing off. “Well? Can I teach you the harmony?” 

Oreki glanced towards the doorway. With nothing to occupy his buzzing hands anymore, he stuffed them in his pockets. “Alright, I’m ready.” he said. 

And Chitanda started singing.


End file.
